


The Magus and the Maid -- A Spellborne Spinoff

by The Firelight Magus (Crystalliced)



Series: Spellborne [8]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Battle Maid Setsuna, Contains images of BATTLE MAID SETSUNA!, F/M, Fantasy, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:14:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24158683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalliced/pseuds/The%20Firelight%20Magus
Summary: Battle.Maid.Setsuna.I think that says everything it needs to, doesn't it? Non-canon-compliant companion fiction to Spellborne. This story will have a sequel called Noblesse Oblige.Assumes that you have read Act 3 of Spellborne in its entirety.
Series: Spellborne [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1682548
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	1. Lost Girl

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shunpo Shinigami](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Shunpo+Shinigami).



> This story contains massive spoilers for Spellborne's Act 3, especially regarding Setsuna.
> 
> The Magus and the Maid will primarily be a character study of Setsuna, and as a result, will revolve around her. Noblesse Oblige, its sequel, will not be.

# 

#  **The Magus And The Maid — Chapter One**

##  **Lost Girl**

“...Here?” Setsuna mumbles, looking around the busy street corner. Half-asleep and starving, the four-year old Clairvoyant has followed hazy visions to this street corner, but nothing seems out of the ordinary.

“But there’s nothing...” People bustle to and from, the afternoon sun low in the sky. Soon it will be dark, and she’ll be forced to rely on her visions to find somewhere safe to sleep, away from the Arcacian Silver Wolves that sometimes run through the border villages. 

“...But they’ve never been wrong yet...” She turns— 

“Ow!” A blonde girl that looks to be about the same age as her stumbles back, nearly falling over before she catches herself.

“I-I’m sorry!” Setsuna responds instantly, bowing deeply. She’s been trained over the months to react properly whenever she inconveniences someone else, and by now, apologizing has become second nature. 

“It’s okay.” The girl says, looking at her, then freezes, wide-eyed. Setsuna doesn’t move, fear creeping into her heart as her eyes dart around, already planning escape routes. 

“You...you’re...” Abruptly, the blonde girl reaches out to take her hand, Setsuna nearly bolting as she does. “Come with me!” 

“O-Okay!” Setsuna follows, trying not to stumble. Her Clairvoyance remains quiet. 

_Maybe this was what I was meant to find?_

...

“Mama!” 

Perhaps ten minutes later, Leona drags Setsuna into an armory, where an older woman with similar blonde hair and green eyes weighs a staff in her hand. She glances down, raising an eyebrow. “Daughter. What’s going on?”

“She has...” Leona gestures for her to bend down, and she does, so that the blonde can whisper into her ear. Setsuna can’t quite make out what they’re saying, but is too intimidated to try to move closer. 

“...Is that so?” The woman muses, then returns the staff to its holder. “Roy, I’ll be back later. I’ve just remembered I had an urgent matter to take care of.”

“By your leave, Lady Dawn.” The shopkeeper bows. Leona’s mother turns to the young Clairvoyants. 

“Young lady, what is your name?”

“I...” The young girl swallows. “Setsuna Tsuri.”

Alexandria raises an eyebrow. “That is not your real name.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you my other one.” She says quietly.

“I understand. Then, if you have no one expecting you elsewhere, why don’t you join us for dinner? Leona could use the polite company.”

The blonde pouts. 

“If...if it would not be a bur...burden on you—” 

“I insist.” She says kindly, but firmly. 

The black-haired girl nods, falling silent. 

“Then, follow me outside and take my hand, Leona, Setsuna.”

...

“W-Wah!” Setsuna nearly falls over, but is held upright by Alexandria. 

“First time teleporting?” Alexandria muses. “Well, come inside. We have much to talk about, it seems.”

“Where...where are we?” 

“At Dawn Manor.” Leona volunteers happily, and receives a pat on the head from her mother in response. “I’ll show you my room!” 

“Leona!” Alexandria says sharply. “Don’t go overboard. Nothing has been decided yet.”

“But, but...!” The young girl stamps her foot. “She’s a really good person!” 

“And I believe you.” Alexandria pacifies. “But things are not that easy. We will see, okay?”

“Okay...” The blonde makes a face, then cheers up. “Come on, Setsuna! I’ll show you my room!” 

The elder magus sighs exasperatedly as Leona pulls the confused girl along. 

...

“It tastes really good...” Setsuna mumbles. “Thank you.” 

“You are very welcome.” Alexandria says, observing the girl in question. She’s quiet, rarely speaking unless addressed first, and there’s a sort of... _perception_ , she thinks, glinting in those grey eyes of hers. As if examining every corner, every entrance and every exit, every shadow, looking for an escape. 

_It was a good call to keep Leona in her room for this, I think. A scared rat is a desperate one, or so the saying goes. But even as dirty as she is, I can see the noble upbringing within her actions. Some things are not completely forgotten, I suppose._

“Why did you...bring me here?” The elder magus notes her halting, stuttering speech, from a girl who should have been raised a princess, and narrows her eyes.

 _Signs of abuse? At_ this _age? Or simple shyness? The former would provide a_ reason _, perhaps..._

“You have nothing to be afraid of.” Alexandria says as gently as possible. “No matter what, the worst thing that will happen to you today is that we will return you where we found you after a night of good sleep. But there are some questions that we have to ask you. Do you think you can answer?”

Setsuna nods cautiously. 

“Alright. Firstly, your real name...it is _Sakuya Aria Tsukiri_ , correct?” 

Setsuna’s eyes widen in panic. “No, it’s not!” 

_A lie_ , Alexandra easily discerns, but she notes the fear on her face and realizes the purpose of the lie. 

“We will not hurt you.” She says soothingly. “Do not worry. We are just curious as to why you are alive, given that your family declared your death not all that long ago.” 

Setsuna shrinks down in her chair, looking scared. 

“And why you were in Ember, of all places. If you tell me what happened, perhaps I can help you.” A flash of insight— 

“You don’t want to go back, do you?” 

Setsuna’s eyes widen in fear. “No!” 

“Then tell me the truth, and I will find a different way. Somewhere safe for you to go.” 

Setsuna swallows, thinking, and in the end, self-preservation wins out over fear. “O-Okay. I’ll tell you.” 

...

“The question now, I suppose, is what to do with you...” Alexandria hums. “Well, it can’t be helped, I suppose. You must remain out of the public eye. It is a miracle you have not been caught.”

“The visions...” Setsuna murmurs, and the elder magus understands immediately. 

“Let’s not rely too heavily on those.” She warns. “It is my understanding that they come and go. Though they have brought you far, it is not omnipotent. Should your luck run out, you will die without assistance.” 

_But what to do, then...? Hm, my mage-knight duties do not take up too much of my time, I suppose._

“We need to buy time. Well, then. I will personally instruct you in matters of your basic education until such a time passes that you no longer need it. By then, we will have a better idea of what to do.”

“H-Huh?” Setsuna asks. Alexandria reminds herself that the girl in question is only four.

“I will teach you what you need to live.”

“O-Oh. What will I...have to do?”

_How cautious. Just what kind of skills have you picked up on your travels?_

“We will see.” She deflects. “Nothing...nothing unfair, at least.” 

“O-Okay.” 

“Are you okay with living here until then?”

Setsuna nods, a touch more eagerly. 

“Very good.” Alexandria reaches out with her mind, seeking a certain telepathic connection. “Then I shall have my daughter join us, and she shall...show you around, I suppose.”

...

And so Setsuna grows, years passing in the blink of an eye as she receives a through background in a wide variety of subjects both mundane and magical. It’s certainly not perfect, Alexandria a poor substitute for a proper education, but it’s serviceable. 

Over time, she grows close to the blonde child who picked her off the streets, and...soon enough...

...

“You are now eleven, correct?”

“Yes, Lady Dawn.”

“Have you thought on what you ought to do?”

Setsuna shakes her head. “I...do not know where else I could go. But I understand that I have overstayed my welcome.”

“You have not.” Alexandria says sharply, having come to care for the child she spent seven years raising. “But should you choose to stay here, you must find a way to contribute to the family.”

Setsuna nods. “I was...I was hoping I would be allowed to stay with Leo— er, Heiress Dawn.” 

The mage-knight cracks a small smile. “There are two positions one can undertake, in that case. Since you are not capable of tutoring her, you can be trained to be either her maid or her bodyguard.” 

Setsuna smiles. “Why not both?”

  
  



	2. Lost Boy

#  **The Magus And The Maid — Chapter Two**

##  **Lost Boy**

“Good evening, milord.” Setsuna chirps brightly. “Is there anything I can help you with?” 

The dark-haired boy across from her glances up from his book. “Good evening, Setsuna. I think that shall be all for tonight — I wouldn’t want to impose on you more than I have already.” 

She sets the teacup and platter down next to him. “Say no more, milord. This is simply my job, and I take pleasure in being allowed to perform it.”

“You are too diligent as always.” He sighs, taking a sip of his tea. “When was the last time you had a break?”

“Hmm...perhaps seven hours or so, milord?” 

“Sit.” He points at the chair across from him, his tone brooking no argument. “I wish to speak frankly with you.” 

Ruthlessly suppressing the urge to fidget, she does as she’s told. “As you command, milord.” 

“You are truly content with your place in the world? And answer honestly, please. I shall not hold your answer against you, no matter what it is.”

Setsuna smiles. “I am, milord. I truly am. It is far better than what I had before, and for that I can only be thankful.” 

“But you do not want to be more?” 

She shakes her head. “I am...happy to serve. And I mean that. There is...something truly gratifying about helping another. You might attribute that to the results of my training, but I think that perhaps it is just the way that I am. Service, milord. To treat someone else well, and to be treated well in return. Perhaps it is a humble life, but I think I am happy all the same. Lady Leona certainly keeps things interesting enough for me.” 

“That she does.” He chuckles, contemplating her words. “You’re such an interesting person.”

She smiles briefly, coyly. “I aim to please, milord.” 

“If you do not mind me imposing on you further, then I do have one last request for now.” He stands up, empty teacup in hand as he turns away.

“Anything for you, milord.” 

“Stop calling me ‘milord’. Call me by my name. Like how you used to.”

Setsuna freezes, then smiles brightly. 

“Understood...Yuki.” 

...

She remembers when she first met the boy. She had been...what, eight at the time? He’d showed up out of nowhere, Leona dragging him in much the same way she herself had been pulled about. It wasn’t long before his big secret was revealed— 

_He was an Ice Aberrant?_

She’d watched warily for some time, unsure of what that might mean. But her observations revealed very little — he kept to himself, eyes alert and wary. After a few days, though, they hadn’t had any choice but to interact — Alexandria began to tutor them together. 

_He was really smart!_

In only a few months, he had caught up to her already...and devoured books on the side. It motivated her to try and keep up with him, but he overtook her even with those efforts.

_What motivated him?_

Though she was too intimidated to approach the standoffish boy, Leona proved a much more willing source of information— 

_A runaway from Alune?_

His story resonated with hers, and she resolved to treat him nicely, at the very least. But she couldn’t help but be curious about him.

_Does he sleep well at night? Does he still get a little scared going into dark, quiet places by himself? Is he used to brushing aside the pain of not having eaten in days?_

Eventually, as she grew more used to his presence in the library, in the makeshift study room that Alexandria used as a classroom, in the halls, she grew the courage to approach him.

“Y-You’re Yuki, right?”

He’d blinked at her, surprised. “I am. Did you have a reason for approaching me, Setsuna?” 

“I, uh...I was just wondering if you would be able to help me with the homework Lady Dawn gave to us?”

“The essay on Magical Field Theory?” Yuki frowns. “Certainly. Let’s head down to the West Wing, then.” 

“H-Huh?” 

“The library is there.” He says shortly. “I can direct you to the references I used.” 

“O-Oh.” She follows after him. “Okay.”

“You sound as if you would prefer something else.” Where the words might be accusatory from another, Setsuna realizes that it’s just...a statement of fact for him. Dry. Emotionless. 

“I was...thinking that we could just...talk about it?”

He turns to face her, eyes betraying just a little bit of surprise. “You would rather learn from me than from an expert in the field?”

She fidgets shyly. “I...I think it’s easier to understand when there’s someone there to talk with...Leona usually helps, but she’s busy...” 

“I see.” He nods. “Very well. We can go to the lounge, then. Do you drink tea? I can prepare some for you.”

“Um...if it wouldn’t i-impose on you, then I wouldn’t mind.”

“Alright.” 

...

“I think I understand better.” Setsuna says brightly. “Thank you, Yuki.” 

He inclines his head. “It was not a problem. If you need help again, let me know.”

That takes her by surprise. “Really?”

He nods. “In a sense, we are family.” 

_Family, huh...?_

...

“So you’re training to be her guard?” She asks, surprised.

“More or less.” He agrees. “Have you been offered the choice yet? There were a variety of options I could have taken, but I settled on what I’m best at.” 

“Hm...I don’t know what I’m good at.” She slumps. “Maybe I won’t be able to do anything at all.”

“You could always become her maid.” He cracks a small smile as she huffs, hiding her grin. 

“Maybe I will!” 

...

“Hah!” 

Setsuna lunges, managing to push aside Yuki’s Ice sword before lunging, thrusting the Ice dagger at his chest. He catches her wrist, turning the blade aside, then lunges forward with a knee that crashes into her stomach, sending her and the daggers flying. 

“Good try.” He reaches out to her, offering his hand. She takes it, wincing.

“Not bad.” Alexandria says neutrally. “Setsuna, you have the style down quite well, but you are simply not fast enough.” 

The girl bows her head. “I understand. I shall do better.” 

...

“Runes.” She realizes. “I’m a Clairvoyant.”

Yuki stares at her. “...You’re joking, right?”

“Ehehe...”

...

The dagger bursts into snowflakes as it stabs into Yuki’s stomach. He jumps back a moment later, panting. 

“...First point to Setsuna.” Alexandria says, as surprised as he is.

Setsuna grins, black letters imprinted all over her skin. 

...

“Lady Leona is entering her fifth year, now. Will you be joining her in classes, Yuki?” 

He inclines his head. “As a transfer student. I’m positive that my cover will be blown by Lady Leona before the second bell ends.” 

Setsuna grins. “How generous. I would have placed my bet on ‘before the first class’.” 

“Ah, but that’s because I’m privy to her schedule. Her first class on the day I transfer in is her Clairvoyance class, which Lady Tsuzera does not share with her.”

“Ah, but did you know that the two often socialize together before the beginning of their classes?” The maid retorts. “I prepare the snacks for them when they do.”

“...Damn. I guess we’ll see, then. You are an observant one, aren’t you?” He sets his teacup down. “How much have you noticed about me, I wonder...?”

Setsuna smiles. “Well. Now that would be telling.” 

_I’ve noticed many things about you, Yuki. What do you want to know? Do you want to know about the way the tension relaxes off of your face when you’re asleep? Want to know the exact joke I told that made you laugh for the first time? Or perhaps you want me to tell you when I realized that I was slowly starting to fall head-over-heels for you? How much have you noticed about me, I wonder? Do you know of the way my heart races when you approach? Or perhaps you’ve realized the way I’m forced to suppress a blush every time we brush past each other? And maybe, if I’m really lucky, or perhaps unlucky, you’ve started falling for me, too?_

_But I won’t hold my breath for that. The same status that I take such delight in damns me, too. You have risen to become a part of Leona’s_ **_family_ ** **,** _and I have let myself slide down to become a simple servant, instead. It would not be proper for me to approach you, nor for you to approach me. So I can only watch, as per my station. Watch from the shadows, admiring the way that you’ve begun to blossom. And until the time comes where I must watch you walk down the aisle yourself, with a lucky lady on your arm — or perhaps a lucky man, should that be your preference — I will enjoy what time I can have with you._

_I’m glad, Yuki. I’m glad that you realized that I was trying to pull away from you, to put that distance between us. You have no idea how happy I am that you value me enough to make sure that we stay friends, despite how everything has changed. But you make things harder, too, by doing that._

_But still. I’m glad, Yuki. I really, truly am. Such a simple problem, as annoying as it might be for me — if such a thing can be the greatest of my worries right now, then I think I live a truly blessed life._

_So, Yuki, when you ask me if I am truly content with my place in the world?_

_I can think of no other place I’d wish to be._

__

  
  



	3. Light and Shadow, Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ideally, you've read through 4.1 and are thusly acquaintanced with Leona.

#  **The Magus And The Maid — Chapter Three**

##  **Light And Shadow, Part One**

“Good morning, Lady Leona.” 

“Good morning, Lady Setsuna.” 

“Stop that.” The maid pouts. 

“Then stop calling my name with that ridiculous title!” The two girls giggle. “Well, how have you been? Do you need anything?”

“Eh? I should be asking you that!” Setsuna mock-glares. 

Leona reaches over and pointedly ruffles the sealer’s hair, eliciting a surprised yelp from her. “You’re too serious now! When it’s just us like this, I don’t want to see maid Setsuna! I want to see real Setsuna!” 

“So you’re trying to get me out of my clothes...?” The maid looks away, a hand on her cheek. “How lecherous...” 

“I mean, if you’re inviting...” Leona trails off, grinning, then squawks as Setsuna smacks her head disapprovingly. 

“Behave, Lady Leona.” 

“Now you sound like my mother!”

The two girls dissolve into laughter again. 

“Well, I’ve been fine.” Setsuna says brightly. “Thank you for asking. How about you?”

“I’m excited for Yuki to join our class.” Leona claps her hands together. “It’s going to be so fun! I’m going to annoy him so much that he’ll be the one to break his cover!” 

_Looks like the bet’s in the bag for me, then. I wonder what he would look like in a maid outfit...?_

“You’re supposed to not be associating with him too much, though, right? That way he can do things undercover before people figure out the link between you guys?” 

Leona scoffs. “Not like anyone _wants_ to hurt me, anyways. At least, not that I know of.” 

Setsuna carefully keeps a smile pasted on her face.

...

“What is this?”

“It’s a runic set-up that draws chakra from the air. It’ll only work when you’re in a place with high ambient magic, so only major magical cities and perhaps the Academy proper, as well as this manor...but when you’re in one of those places, you might be able to cast a spell out of desperation. But you’ll have to practice.”

“Do you think that...maybe my ritual, the Spirit Ritual, would that work again if I have magic?”

“I can’t see why it wouldn’t...though it will probably hurt the first time you use it. You’ll need to practice that.” 

...

“W...Why...why doesn’t my Clairvoyance work on you...?” 

Setsuna smiles darkly, straddling the boy with a knife at his throat. “I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you. Would you still like to know?”

“I’ll...pass.”

“Good boy.” She coos. “You’re probably wondering why I’m here, right? Well, you see, I suffer from a dangerous medical condition. Sometimes, when I’m holding a knife, my hand just — _slips_ , and, well, what can I say? When I see Lady Leona come home with tears in her eyes, that just... _stresses_ me, you could say. But she doesn’t like to tell, so I had to come out myself to figure out what was going on. And it just so happens that watching the way you treat her... _really_ stresses me out.”

“I...I get the idea.” He breathes out. 

“Good, very good.” She stands up, the knife vanishing into subspace. “Do not make me come back here. I will be _very_ displeased. And then you’re going to learn what it’s like to live without opposable thumbs.” 

She disappears a moment later. 

...

A darker memory forms and is banished in the same thought. Setsuna’s smile grows a bit more fixed. 

“I shall defer to your wisdom, Lady Leona.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“Oh, nothing.” Setsuna says brightly, “More importantly, would you prefer ham or bacon for your sandwich?”

“Bacon, and — I’m watching you, maid.” Leona narrows her eyes. “I’ll know if you try to play any funny tricks!”

Setsuna carefully holds back a smile. 

_Oh, Leona. You’re a wonderfully smart individual, but your perception leaves a lot to be desired. Or perhaps it’s simply your naivete. Either way, I want to protect it._

...

“I shall see you when you return home, Lady Leona.” She curtsies. 

The blonde rolls her eyes and waves, a fond smile on her face as the Warp Matrix takes her away. 

“Will you be following her?” Yuki asks from behind me, stepping out in his own uniform. Setsuna raises her hand to her mouth, covering a smile.

“Yes, but...you aren’t going out like that, are you?”

“Huh?” He looks down at himself. “What’s wrong with this? This _is_ the standard school uniform, isn’t it?”

“Oh, Yuki.” The maid walks up to him, sighing. “You’re such a silly _boy._ ”

“What? Wait, is that why Leona was laughing at me—”

Reaching forward, she undoes his tie and pulls it off. “What kind of image are you trying to pull off with your appearance?” 

“Uh...I can’t say I’d thought about that. I was just going to act—” 

“No, no. That’s not how that works. That first impression is what will stick in everyone’s minds, and it takes _work_ to change that! So you need to look the part. You look impeccable right now...” Setsuna suppresses a blush, “But is that the image you’re going for?” 

“Hm. I see. I was aiming to be an enigma, I suppose.”

“That is something you’re good at.” Setsuna agrees. “In that case, you can’t look like an uppity honor student, can you? I’m not saying you shouldn’t look presentable — if you aren’t neat, you’re harder to approach — but there are some things you can do. Like this.” She places the tie back on him, the knot more relaxed and a touch messier. Then she reaches up, ruffling his hair a little. 

_Soft..._

“Like that.” She says brightly, stepping back. He looks just a touch more careless, now, more like someone _pretending_ to be the perfect student he’d looked like at first. His high intelligence and generally unapproachable self will only add to that image. “Now all you have to do is act like you don’t care much, but have a gentle heart underneath...so what you already do.” 

“Thanks for the compliment, I think.” He retorts, a touch sarcastic. 

The maid grins. “I live to serve, milord.” 

“I’ll be off, then. Thanks, Setsuna.” He passes by her, then pauses. 

“Is something wrong?” 

“Your ribbon.” He sets his bag down, then turns to face her back, bending lower. “Hold still.” 

“Eh? W-Wait, I can take care of—” 

He undoes the ribbon, his hands brushing against the small of her back.

“Erk.” She flushes violently, frozen in place as he deftly reties the ribbon, patting her once on the back.

“There you go. I couldn’t let you go out like that, after all.” He steps back, smiling as she turns around. “Impeccable? Such an interesting word...but you, I think, look _alluring_ . _Mazuateru!”_

The Warp Matrix takes him away. 

Setsuna stares at where he’s disappeared, face burning crimson. 

_That was flirting, right!? That was definitely flirting! Yuki’s flirting with me!_

Then she frowns. 

_But I can’t accept that, can I...? Even if we were to...it wouldn’t be_ **_allowed_** _. So any thoughts like these are...no good, huh?_

Setsuna recomposes herself, pushing away all of her thoughts until she’s able to put on her ‘mask’. A placid, gentle look. Neutral, but with a polite smile. 

_I have my role to play. And he has his._

_This is what I’ve chosen._

_...But maybe, just maybe..._

**_No._ **

Setsuna touches an invisible rune on her throat, a necklace warping into visibility around her neck. A small, clear crystal sphere rests, bound by a golden chain. 

Closing her eyes, she incants— 

“ _Mazuateru!”_

  
  



	4. Light and Shadows, Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reading up to 4.3.5 of the main story is recommended for this chapter, but you don't *have* to.

#  **The Magus And The Maid — Chapter Four**

##  **Light And Shadow, Part Two**

Setsuna reappears from the manastream, eyes flashing open as two knives slip into her hands.

But, as per the usual, there’s nothing in the simple underground base she’s constructed for herself, a few kilometers out from the school. Relaxing, her knives slip away into subspace once more as she takes in familiar surroundings, a cot against one wall, a simple desk along another. 

_First order of business..._

She reaches down, touching an invisible rune on her inner left thigh. It glimmers briefly, then light surrounds her form. When it clears, she’s in a different form entirely — her _brown_ hair now falls to her back, with her eyes the same color. A nifty spot of illusion magic that makes her a perfectly ordinary, unassuming maid. 

_Perfect for what I need._

She turns behind her, seals the Warp Matrix with its preplaced runic array, then climbs the stairs out onto the forest floor. Turning back, another runic array seals the staircase, and soon the spot looks like any other patch of forest. 

With that, she begins her first mission — slipping into the school undetected.

_Save for Cynthia Kemikeru, of course. That’s one woman I won’t let myself get on the bad side of. So I don’t try to outfox those particular wards, even if I think I could. It’s easier just to let her know what I’m up to...of course, unless I need to do something secret, like threatening a certain magus..._

She scales a tree, then begins moving. Visibility is high due to the sparseness of the trees, so she makes sure to stay far from where she knows the main school road lies, soundlessly leaping from branch to branch— 

She freezes, pressing her back to one of the trunks. A few moments later, a fleeing deer passes underneath her, and is promptly tackled up by a charging Silver Wolf. Wincing at the sound of fragile bones snapping, she narrows her eyes as two more join its fellow, glowing claws stabbing deeply into the animal. 

_Silver Wolves?! These possess an actual danger to the students, especially the weaker ones! Lady Leona would be fine, but...what’s this strange signature? I should...just in case..._

Silently, she wills a knife out of subspace, catching it in her hand. Then, steeling herself, she drops it down, over the middle wolf— 

And teleports downward a moment later, stomping on the hilt with her steel-toed boot, crushing the blade into the wolf’s skull. Two knives snap into place, and she spins— 

Blood splatters across the ground as black magic sweeps out, sharply extending the range of her attack. It passes through the leftmost wolf like butter, the wolf falling to the ground with its skull split in two. And the other—

“Oh?” Setsuna murmurs, the wolf having leapt back in time to dodge the strike. “A veteran, perhaps?” The dying wolf underneath her whimpers, and she silences it with a callous stomp, crushing its neck. “Perhaps this could be interesting—”

She teleports directly behind it, kicking it into a tree. “But I doubt it.” 

It scrambles to its feet with a burst of chakra, growling. Setsuna grins, malevolent chakra beginning to seep out of her. Then she freezes as someone enters her sensory boundary.

_A person—?! In here?! Who—_

Then she gets a taste of the mana bleeding off of them, and curses silently. 

_“Scent Negation!”_

Her daggers fade back into subspace as a wand falls into her right hand. She snaps it up, aiming in front of her. 

_“Blind!”_

A black bolt leaps off the tip of her wand, ramming right into a student’s face as she moves out from behind the cover of a tree. The girl screams — Setsuna flinches, teleporting briefly to the side as the wolf lunges at her with magically empowered speed. 

_This girl’s magic is imprinted in all the wolves! They were tamed wolves! Fuck! That’s what the strange signature was!_

Setsuna leaps up, fleeing into the tree cover. The wolf follows her, jaws snapping as it jumps at her again, forcing her to flip awkwardly out of the way. 

_It can’t smell me! Once I get away..._

She dodges another leap, kicking the wolf out of the sky with a reinforced leg. It hurts her more than it hurts the wolf. 

_That dumb dog has reinforcement too!_

Setsuna drops a dagger, then teleports out of sight. The wolf jumps onto it, then whines, confused at the loss of its prey. 

Then the dagger explodes, sending it falling out of the sky, alive but wounded. 

Ten meters away, Setsuna waits patiently for it to limp back to its Master, then exhales noisily, clutching at her leg. She hadn’t gotten away completely unscathed, flashing silver claws scoring a pair of shallow lacerations down her leg. 

_Shit...it has my blood._

Pressing at a rune on her arm, Setsuna forces a pink potion down her throat, wincing as the cuts seal themselves. Then she staggers to her feet— 

Then collapses as magic suddenly seizes her, falling out of the tree and landing painfully on the ground, face-first. Luckily, she doesn’t break anything — her reinforced body helps — but that reinforcement does nothing for her body, which stubbornly refuses to respond to her mental commands.

_Paralysis? Not poison, surely...then that magus—_

“Ritual complete.” A feminine voice mutters, almost too low for her to hear. Footsteps come up behind her. “Now, what do we have here?” 

_She completed a blood ritual that quickly!? She must specialize in them! Ah, the animals gather the blood, and she — damn it! That was careless!_

“A maid? We don’t have any maids at the Academy. Now...who are you affiliated with—”

_“Purge!”_

The foreign magic forces itself out from Setsuna. A moment later, she warps, but not away — _behind_ , rather, and a moment later a silent spell leaps off of her wand and strikes the girl in the back of her head, knocking her unconscious. The wolf defending her lunges, and Setsuna wandlessly releases a wave of black magic that slams it into a tree, knocking it unconscious. 

Grimacing, Setsuna collapses to her knees, panting for breath, then shakily raises her wand, shaping her magic carefully. 

_“Memory Purge.”_

...

“You’ve really made a mess.” Principal-Instructor Cynthia Kemikeru mutters, staring at the unconscious girl.

“I’m sorry.” Setsuna pants, so drained that she can’t even put on a proper facade for the woman. The magic required to shape the unconscious student’s memories of her has been draining, and she isn’t exactly known for her magical stamina. 

“Well, it does seem that your intentions really were good.” She shakes her head. “And this batch of trouble doesn’t offset the good you’ve done for us in general, I suppose. And you’re quite good at cleaning your own messes up, anyways.” 

“I’d be better...but her abilities are _exceptional_ for her age.”

“Kristia Zakaro is perhaps the second best student in her year, so I’m hardly surprised. Although...my intuition tells me that she’ll be the _third_ best.” 

Setsuna carefully does not react. “Has something changed?” 

“A transfer student. Strange enough to get one in the middle of the year.” She glances dryly at me. “You can stop pretending, by the way. Alexandria told me about it. No way he would’ve got in with that background of his without her.”

“Oh. Well, thank you.”

“Do you know him?” Cynthia pulls out a bottle of wine from...somewhere, vanishing the cork with a spark of magic. Two more glasses materialize from thin air, hovering as she fills them up before floating one over to Setsuna. She accepts it, not bothering to check it for poison. If the elder magus wanted to drug her, she could do it with force.

“Thank you again. And I do, actually. He’s...from the country I would have migrated to, if Leona hadn’t stopped me.”

“From Alune?” She asks, surprised. “Now that’s _fascinating_. How on earth did not one, but two castaways find their way to Alexandria?”

“Leona.” Setsuna says wearily. 

“Leona.” The instructor acknowledges. 

The one thing Setsuna and Cynthia are truly connected by — a young, precocious blonde, still blind to the darkness of the shadows. To one, a sister; to the other, a daughter. It is the real reason that the Principal-Instructor is so tolerant of the maid — not because of what she’s done for the school, but because of what she’s done for _Leona_ . What she _does_ for Leona. 

“Have you considered becoming a mage-knight?” Leaning down, the Principal-Instructor touches her hand to Kristia’s forehead, magic flickering around her fingers as she slowly begins to change her memories. 

“With my poor magical stamina?” Setsuna shakes her head. “It would be completely unreasonable.”

“There are rituals to change that.” The elder magus observes. 

“At what cost?” Setsuna retorts. “All rituals require _sacrifice_ . And most of the sacrifice would come from people I know and care about, and the rest come from _killing_ people I don’t like...and while I’m not especially adverse to death, I don’t want to stain my soul with that.”

“As practical as always.” Cynthia sighs. “And if I told you that there was an alternative...?” She turns to face Setsuna, then twists her wrist, pulling a thin leather-bound book from subspace. 

_‘Leashing the Manastream’._

“...Why do you want me to become a mage-knight?”

“Because it’ll pull you out of the shadows, and because it’ll keep you closer to Leona.” She answers bluntly. “You have the mentality and skills necessary to become someone exceptionally powerful. The fact that you do so with a chakra pool of perhaps a _tenth_ as much as your typical Academy Graduate makes that all the more so. Imagine what you could do with ten _times_ as much as the ordinary? You could easily stand on equal ground with Leona.” 

_To protect her._

“Yuki, I think, will do that.” Setsuna smiles. “He’s suited for the light, ironically enough. I’m...not someone like that. I’d much rather stick to the shadows.”

“Even if it means that you will eventually die a nameless, faceless death in them?”

The maid shakes her head. “What makes one death any different from another? To the fallen, it is all the same.”

“...Ah, I see. It’s Yuki, isn’t it? You’re afraid of getting _burned._ ” 

Her breath catches in her throat. “Stay out of my mind!” 

Cynthia looks at her, sorrow on her features. “You will only hurt yourself.” 

“And that is _my_ decision to make, isn’t it?” 

She shakes her head ruefully. “You are grown up in so many ways, and yet a child in so many others.” Slinging Kristia over her shoulder, she stands up, placing the book onto the desk. “I hope you reconsider.” 

A moment later, she warps away with a sharp _crack_ , leaving the maid alone.


	5. Light and Shadows, Part Three

#  **The Magus And The Maid — Chapter Five**

##  **Light and Shadow, Part Three**

“And the next thing she knew, she was waking up in the Principal-Instructor’s office! It was her fault for trying to pick a duel with two people at once...hey, are you okay, Setsuna?”

“Ah? Oh, I’m fine.” She answers. 

Leona glares flatly at her. 

“...What would you say if I decided to become a Mage-Knight?”

The blonde’s eyes widen. “I think I’d be worried that I’d have some serious competition for once.” She smiles slyly. “About time. But...” She trails off. “Why do you want to be one?” 

“It would let me get a lot stronger.” Setsuna mutters. “Your Principal-Instructor gave me a solution to my mana problems.”

“Really?” Leona asks, wide-eyed. “How?”

Setsuna twists her wrist, flashing the leather-bound book and giving Leona a good look at the title. 

“I’ve been wanting that forever...” She says, eyes wide. “But it’s one of the things she refuses to let me get my hands on. I don’t suppose you’d—” 

Setsuna warps it back into sealspace, grinning. “Sorry, no can do. I can’t break her trust.”

“Damn.” Leona pouts. “I’ll just have to seduce you for it, then.”

“Riiight.” The maid laughs. “Anyways, I took the time to skim it a little. It would solve my problem, though I still wouldn’t be able to do anything big.”

“Well, if you can take care of that problem, I think that you’d make a great Mage-Knight!” She claps her hands. “And we’d get to spend more time together! And you and Yuki—”

“Don’t go there.” 

Leona huffs. “Still, though, you should, then! That way, you’d be able to join us on the initiation trip.”

“The initiation trip?”

“Yup!” The blonde says. “Over summer vacation, all the prospective mage-knights go on a vacation, so to speak, except it’s more like a brutal training camp! It’s a month long, and during that time, we go from anywhere from fifty recruits down to like...five.”

“A ninety percent fail rate...? You went yourself, what, two years ago?” Setsuna asks, shocked. 

“Yep.” Leona says grimly. “Two years early. It’s...not for the faint of heart. But you and Yuki could both do it, I think.” 

Setsuna frowns. “I...I guess so.”

“What’s wrong?”

She shakes her head. “Nothing.”

_I’d have to get closer to Yuki. And hell, that would be a fresh torture all of its own. I’ve already resigned myself to staying away! Why do you test me so, Void?_

“If you say so.” Leona huffs. “But you know, if you’re ever planning on making a move, you should do it soon. He’s already made quite the splash.” 

“H-Huh? What do you mean?”

“More than a few girls are already crushing on him.” She says bluntly. “That was you, right? You’re the one who fixed him up? Now he’s all—” She mock-swoons. “Mysterious.” 

“Oh.” Setsuna isn’t quite sure what to say to that. 

“And a few of those are definitely signing up for the mage-knight initiation.” The magus says. “I...thought you’d like to know.” 

“Thanks, I guess.” The maid spins away on her heel. “Well, I need to return to my duties. I’ll see you after, Leona.”

“Okay, bye-bye.” 

...

“Hey, Yuki?”

“Yes?” The boy looks up at the blonde magus. 

“You ever manipulated someone for the greater good?”

“...Like the way I’m playing a role for the entire school?”

Leona flushes, pouting. 

“I-I mean, something more personal than that.”

“...Well, there was that one time where I’d wanted those cookies, and—” 

“You _didn’t!”_ The blonde magus gapes, raising a fist angrily. 

“You want to know if what you’re doing is okay or not, right?” Yuki interjects smoothly. She wilts. 

“...Yeah.”

“Ethically? No. But whether or not you should or shouldn’t...? For me, it depends on the _results_. Will they be better off after than they would have been? And is the damage to that relationship worth the net benefit? Is that damage fixable? If you weigh the pros and cons, you’ll be just fine, I think.”

“I see...you’re wise as always, Yuki. Thank you.” Leona smiles. 

“Wise? Ha. No, I just think a lot. Perhaps too much.”

“If I manipulated you like that...would you be able to forgive me?”

“Oh, Leona.” He reaches over and hugs her briefly. “I’d be _upset_ with you, certainly, but I will _always_ forgive you and love you no matter what you do. That’s what _family_ is for. So tell me what you did.”

“...I can’t.” She glances away.

“...What’d you do to Setsuna?”

“Wow, would you look at the time? I’ve gotta go...see ya!” 

Yuki watches his adopted sister flee, narrowing his eyes. 

_She better not have told her!_

...

“You want to become a mage-knight?” Alexandria confirms, face completely neutral.

“I’d like to begin training and participate in the initiation.” Setsuna agrees, bowing deeply. All of her reasons have been carefully prepared, as she readies herself to defend her— 

“Alright. Does this mean you will resign your maid position?”

“Actually, I was...hoping I could hold onto that. Just as a...back-up plan.”

Alexandria sniffs. “You are as much a Dawn as Leona. You shall not fail.” 

Heat rushes to the maid’s face, barely suppressed. “I...Thank you, milady. All the same though, if it isn’t too much to ask...”

“Were it anyone else, I would refuse. But perhaps you can handle it. Worry less about cleaning the house and more about serving Leona specifically, then, and I’ll accept it.”

“Thank you.” Setsuna bows deeply, relieved. “I can agree to that easily.”

“You are dismissed.” 

...

“Yay! Hehe, you know what this means?”

“What?”

“You’re going to be the first _maid-knight!_ Heh, get it...? Hey, what’s that look on your face for...wait, don’t hurt meee—” 

...

“So you’ve decided to commit to being a mage-knight, too?” 

“Yeah...” Setsuna says, struggling to meet his gaze without heat prickling down her cheeks. Every time she thinks about it, she remembers the feeling of his hands brushing across her back— 

_Get a hold of yourself!_

“Would you like some time to yourself?” Yuki asks, frowning. “You seem distressed. Perhaps you are overworked?”

_No...I want you to stay—_

“Yes, I would not mind that.” Setsuna lies through her teeth. “My apologies.”

He nods, sympathy on his features. It makes her want to punch herself. “If there’s anything I can do to you, please let me know. Perhaps I’ll be able to start making up for all of the years of service you’ve given me.” He smiles fondly, her heart fluttering at the sight. “Take care of yourself, okay, Setsuna?”

“I...I will.” She says unsteadily. He departs, closing the door behind him. Once she’s sure she’s alone, she slumps, holding her head in her hands. 

_I can’t get her words out of my head._

_“More than a few girls are already crushing on him. That was you, right? You’re the one who fixed him up? Now he’s all...mysterious. And a few of those are definitely signing up for the mage-knight initiation.”_

_My heart twists every time I think about someone who doesn’t even_ **_know_ ** _him trying to...just because he looks cool! Anyone can do that! He’s so much more than that...but no, surely he wouldn’t accept a confession like that! But what if...maybe he’d do it out of curiosity. A social experiment, he’d call it! And they would...then they would..._

_It’s none of my business, damn it! Pull yourself together, Setsuna! You knew all of this was coming! You knew! You knew that in the end, you would be alone again._

_...But I don’t want to be. I want to be more than that..._

_You already have more than that! You have Leona and Alexandria! Alexandria, who seemed too accommodating already...maybe she’s come to really care for us, too...?_

_It’s not enough!_

_But it’ll have to do. You know what it’s like to live without what you need. Surely living without what you want isn’t so bad, in comparison?_

_But...but..._

“Setsuna, are you there?” Yuki’s voice rings out through the door. “I hope you’re feeling better. I don’t think you’ve had the chance to eat since breakfast, have you? Well, I’ve prepared a small lunch for you anyways. It’s up to you whether or not you’re up to eating it. And, well, I’d just wanted to let you know...if there’s something on your mind, I’d be happy to talk to you about it. You’ve seemed more anxious than usual. So I...I just wanted to remind you, I guess, that I’m here for you, alright?”

Setsuna wipes angrily at the tears that flow down her face, unbidden. 

“I’m...” Her voice shakes. “I’ll be fine. A-Actually, I ate earlier...”

_I made you do all that work for nothing! You should be upset about that..._

“I understand. Well, I shall pack it for my lunch tomorrow, then.”

An image flashes through her mind, unbidden — of him sharing a boxed lunch with another girl on a rooftop, a shy smile shared between them, hands brushing each other— 

_My Clairvoyance!? N-Now, when it has been inactive for so long? So that...that would be the future, unless—_

“A-Actually, Yuki...I might be able to manage after all.” Setsuna quickly interjects, heart pounding. 

“Really? I’m glad to hear that. Would you like me to come inside, or would you prefer for me to drop it off?”

_You’re so kind to me, Yuki. I don’t deserve that. I’m so selfish..._

“You can...” She wipes her tears again, “You can come inside. I...I won’t mind.”

“Alright. I’m coming in, then.” He opens the door with one hand, a tray balanced on the other. Walking in, he places the tray down as Setsuna watches.

“It’s nothing complicated.” He says softly. “I’m afraid I’m not quite as talented as you are in the culinary arts, but I hope it shall satisfy you.” 

“I’m sorry for causing you trouble.” The practiced words slip out of her mouth.

_So quickly, I could lose this...maybe that future I saw is already set in stone, and it’s already too late. Maybe I’ve...maybe I’ve already lost him. But that’s...that’s for the best, right?_

_...Right?_

“You really are out of it...” He murmurs, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead. “Look, you’re all flushed, too. Body heat is quite high...have you been sleeping well, recently?” 

_Am I...am I really okay with letting him go...?_

_He’s not yours, Setsuna. And he can’t ever be. Get that through that thick skull of yours._

“Setsuna?”

“I’m sorry.” She slumps. “I just...don’t feel great right now.” 

“Is that so...?” He hums thoughtfully. “Then...I’ll try this, maybe.” 

“Eh? Ehhh? W-Wait, what are you—”

Slipping his shoes off, he clambers onto the bed before reaching out and embracing her in a kneeling hug. 

“I’ve never done this before.” 

“W-What, hugging someone?” It’s the first time he’s ever embraced her. Her heart trembles, fluttering out of control as she tries not to lean against him too obviously. 

“Hah. No. I know Lady Leona, after all.” 

For a moment, Setsuna is intensely, irrationally jealous of her friend.

“No, it’s...well, I apologize in advance for my voice.”

Then he starts singing a wordless piece that sounds slightly off-key, one she can’t recognize at all. But with his voice comes his magic, rising to meet her, to embrace her with feelings of warmth, of affection—

When he finishes, a mere minute or two later, she realizes that she’s crying. 

“Uh, was it that bad?”

“N-No...” She buries her face into his shoulder. “That’s not...that’s not it at all.” 

“Ah.” He pats her back. “Sorry. I have no idea if that helped or not.” 

She sniffles. “I...”

_It showed me proof of your genuine care for me. That is a feeling I will never be able to forget. Ever._

“I think it did.” 


	6. Light and Shadow, Part Four

#  **The Magus And The Maid — Chapter Six**

##  **Light And Shadow, Part Four**

“You have made a lot of progress harnessing the manastream.” Alexandria muses. “Far more than I’d anticipated.”

Setsuna grits her teeth, holding her head as it throbs relentlessly. One of the major side effects of her intense training is terrible migraines and headaches, and the other— 

_[“...Did you hear? I heard that she’s going to—”]_

Increased Clairvoyance visions. In fact, learning to leash the manastream can grant even typical Magi weak visions all by itself. And no matter what she does, the only thing she gets visions of— 

_Yuki’s stupid love life. Of course. My own Voiddamned fixation on him means that my Clairvoyance responds appropriately._

“Take a break.” She says decisively. “Rest. You’re dismissed from your maid duties today. I’m detecting signs of magical overexertion from you. I understand that you wish to join the Mage Knight Initiation this summer, but the way you’re pushing yourself is _dangerous_ , Setsuna.”

“...I...understand.” Setsuna says reluctantly, wincing at another spike of pain. 

...

“Oh, Setsuna...” 

The maid doesn’t bother to open her eyes — thankfully, Yuki has the sense not to turn on the lamp. She whimpers and curls up into a ball, trying to drown out the pain. 

A moment later, she feels his hand on her forehead — then his soothing magic sweeps the pain away, bringing a sense of cool relief. 

“Thank you.” She whispers. 

“Of course.” He pats her head. “But it’s going to come right back if you even think about pushing yourself, so you really should take a break, alright?” 

She wants to protest, to stand up and tell him that she’s strong enough to take it, that she doesn’t want to fall behind...but she doesn’t want to answer him if he asks _why_ she’s pushing so hard. 

_I barely even know myself. Damn it._

“I’ll go get you some food.”

“No, it’s okay.” She struggles to sit up. He presses down on the spot above her breasts, pinning her without effort. 

“No. Rest, alright?” 

“You don’t need to take—” 

He kisses her on the forehead. 

“Erk—”

He pulls back, smiling gently at her. “Let me take care of you for once. I don’t mind, truly.”

“You’re too nice to me...” 

Yuki’s smile widens. 

“I don’t think there’s any such thing. I’ll be back soon with something simple.”

...

A month has passed since Setsuna begun her training, the summer Initiation drawing ever nearer. And with that comes an increase in her visions, despite her attempts at ignoring them. 

_[“I’ve heard that she’s going to confess to him today!”_

_“Really? Aw man...damn him! He’s taking the most popular girl in the school!_

_“Hey, we might still have a chance! He might turn her down like he’s done everyone else!”_

_“Yeah, but she’s...it’s_ **_her_ ** _, man. There’s no way.”_

_“Shut up! Let me dream!”]_

The disguised maid shoves the vision to the back of her mind as she races through the forest, well away from where she’d encountered Kristia Zakaro. 

_I just want to check on him. That’s all this is, damn it!_

She nimbly scales the wall surrounding the school with a short-ranged teleportation, slips past the guard, quickly answers Cynthia’s telepathic probe, and sneaks onto the rooftop of the Central Building with a series of acrobatic maneuvers that would make a mage-knight jealous. 

And it’s there that she finds— 

Him sharing a boxed lunch with a girl on a rooftop, a shy smile on her face, hands brushing each other. She’s too far away to hear what they’re saying, and dares not approach closer. 

_So I didn’t avert that vision after all...but it’s okay, right? I told myself this would be fine..._

He drops his fork, eyes wide, as she puts her hand on his arm, clearly saying something. Confessing, from the context. 

_So...why does it feel so terrible?_

The maid leaves as he puts his hand on her shoulder, refusing to watch to the end. 

_I'd always told myself that I was ready to let him walk away, but not so soon! I thought I would have years. Years of coming to terms with the loss I would eventually suffer. But to be confronted with that reality now...was something I wasn't ready for._

...

“We need to talk.” The magus appears out of nowhere, startling Setsuna badly, and begins dragging her away without another word. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be in class?!” 

Leona pulls Setsuna behind a tree, glaring sharply. “What’s going on with you? I caught a glimpse of you on accident while I had my Clairvoyance active and it’s really clear that something’s going on with you. What on earth happened?” 

She flinches. “Nothing.”

“You saw something. Yuki, right? What was it?”

_How does she...?_

“...No, wait, stupid question. So you saw the confession, then? Did you...but then why...?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Setsuna deflects. “And look, you need to—” 

“He said _no_ , you idiot!”

Setsuna freezes. “What?”

“He turned her down!” Leona scowls, disgusted. “You didn’t stay until the end, did you? If you did, you’d already know this! And for god’s sake, woman, if you want him, then you’d better—” 

“Bad time to interrupt?” A voice behind them asks blankly. They turn, to see— 

Yuki. 

Setsuna turns back, glaring fiercely at the blonde magus only to realize that she’s disappeared. 

“...Sorry. Didn’t mean to overhear...but when I realized Leona wasn’t _actually_ at class, I needed to investigate.” He shakes his head. “I should...probably have stayed, huh?”

Setsuna stares at him, mind blank. 

“I _did_ turn her down. She was a sweet girl, but...” He glances at her. “I’ve had my eye on someone else for a long time, you know?”

_Don’t do this, please._

“Setsuna, I...I like you.”

She tampers down coldly on her feelings with the resolve of a proper magus, averts her gaze, and delivers the response that she’s supposed to. “I’m sorry, Yuki. I don’t feel the same way for you.”

“That’s bullshit.”

It takes a moment for his words to sink into her, and when they do, she flinches back, stunned. 

“I know what you feel for me...” He says softly. “And I know it isn’t a lie.”

She can’t meet his eyes, determinedly staring at the ground at his feet and trying not to cry.

“...But I can’t, and I won’t, force you.” He shakes his head. “It was...worth a shot, though. I’ll...see you around, Setsuna.”

He walks off, and only when she’s completely sure she’s gone does she let the tears flow.

  
  



	7. Becoming a Maid-Knight, Part One

#  **The Magus And The Maid — Chapter Seven**

##  **Becoming a Maid-Knight, Part One**

Summer vacation begins without further incident, and soon all the prospective mage-knights find themselves in the middle of a large forest clearing for their initiation. 

“Look around you.” Alexandria says, quietly, yet managing to project her voice to the crowd in front of her. “Sixty-three prospects from the Sunset Academy of Magic, ranging from years five to seven. The largest prospective group of mage-knights in a decade. All of you here for various reasons...for fame, for glory, for honor, for lack of anything else to do...” She smiles grimly. “You may notice that there are four magi behind me. These are not mage-knights. These are people specializing in teleportation and transport, and will be here for a week. Why, you ask?” 

“Well, by the end of this first day, I anticipate less than thirty of you will remain. By the end of the second, perhaps we will have fifteen. And by the end of the week, I imagine we might have seven or eight, if I’m being generous. I have cut the numbers down to as low as two, once. If at any time you wish to bow out, you need simply inform me, and you will be free to go. Of course, once the teleporters are gone, you will need to find your own way home if you wish to leave. As we are a dozen kilometers away from the nearest settlement, I hope that you are well-trained in survival magic.” 

Setsuna keeps her posture straight, unashamed to be in her maid uniform surrounded by all the students, who are dressed in various formal clothing. A few, more prepared students are wearing lighter exercise clothing. Those are the ones most likely to make it through the period Leona semi-jokingly refers to as ‘Hell Month’. 

Someone raises their hand — a girl, next to her. Alexandria glances over. “Speak.” 

“Why is she here?” She gestures at Setsuna. “She’s just a maid, right? Can she even do magic?”

“Excellent question.” Alexandria asks brightly. “Both of you, step up.” The crowd parts for them, and soon they’re left alone in front of everyone. “Here, take this.” A brief burst of magic materializes two wooden sparring swords in her hand, which she hands to the two of them. The other girl has clearly never seriously wielded a weapon before, based on her poor grip. Setsuna takes her sword, testing the balance and frowning, dissatisfied. 

_I prefer the knives._

“Standard Ruleset C. No external magic. Anyone who breaks that rule will be severely chastised. Begin when ready.”

Setsuna glances at the other girl. “Would you like to attack or defend?”

“H-Huh? Wait, I’m supposed to — what, _use_ this?” 

“Defend.” Setsuna chooses for her, darting forward and slamming the hilt of her blade into the girl’s temple. She crumples to the ground, immediately and decisively knocked unconscious. 

“Well.” Alexandria says, hiding her satisfaction behind a thin smile. “I believe that answers that question. Return to your place, maid...and someone call the medic over. Any others?” 

Yuki raises his hand as Setsuna slips back into the crowd. “Why is Leona here? Isn’t she already a mage-knight?”

“She is.” Alexandria agrees. “But to prove that she’s truly earned her position, I make her participate in initiation _every single year_. Any other questions?” 

_I’m glad she’s not my mother,_ most of the crowd thinks to themselves. 

“Just what will we be doing today that will make so many people quit?”

“I’m glad you asked.” Alexandria smiles. “Today, and for the next week straight, you will be learning how to fight _without any magic at all.”_ She gestures at the space behind her, magic dissolving to reveal a circle of runes. “This will seal your magic until you either quit, or you make it through the week.”

The crowd begins to whisper amongst themselves — this request being highly unusual — until Leona walks up and plants herself in the middle of the circle. 

_“Activate.”_

A flash of white signifies the ritual circle going active, and a moment later Leona steps out, looking unbothered by her sealed magic. Moments later, Yuki steps up too, going through the same process.

“Excellent.” Alexandria says approvingly. “Of course, I understand some of you might believe that you are already capable of combat without magic! So I have an offer...if you don’t like these terms, but you don’t want to quit, then all you must do is defeat one of these two in a simple spar, first to surrender or yield, with no magic at all. They are, of course, obviously under the same restrictions. If you can do that, you will be able to skip the first week...of course, if you make the challenge and fail, you will be eliminated from consideration as a mage-knight for this year.” 

The murmurs rise again. “Why would we need to fight without magic?”

“Excellent question.” The elder magus agrees. “Two reasons. Firstly — there will be times where you will need to fight with little to know magic. I’ve been forced to do so more times than I can count, especially outside of the country. Have you ever been completely, utterly drained of magic, to the point where forcing another spark out of you would kill you? You need to know what that feels like. You need to experience it, if you want to have any hope of surviving when everything is on the line. A mage-knight does not falter. A mage-knight does not surrender. If you want to become the _elite_ of the armed forces, then you need to _prove_ that you are able to fight with your back against the wall.”

“I give up.” One boy announces abruptly, skin pale. 

Alexandria merely points behind her, towards the teleporters. He makes his way there, skirting clear of the magic circle, and soon enough is warped away. 

“Anyone else may follow.” 

A dozen more students trickle out of the crowd, then a few more stragglers, sixteen students altogether fleeing, many of them girls. Setsuna can’t help but feel a dark sense of satisfaction. 

“Forty-seven students left.” Alexandria notes with some satisfaction. “Those of you who are staying with us, enter the circle. One at a time.” 

A few others break away to leave, but the rest resolutely file through, and soon there are forty-four magic-less students. Setsuna lingers, glancing at the circle, then up, towards the rising sun. A burst of her magic dissolves the maid dress, revealing a black camisole and a pair of similarly-colored shorts, then she steps through. 

“Many of you will be wishing you did the same.” Alexandria says, glancing over their choices of clothing. “It is currently nine in the morning. You will be out here for quite some time. Some of you have come in dresses...an interesting choice of attire for hard, intensive physical labor.” She shrugs indifferently, then draws and waves her wand, a wooden sword falling into everyone’s hands. “Let us begin...pair up, why don’t you? Leona, you’ll be working with me.”

Setsuna, having expected something like this, had been slowly shifting over to the right — but is too slow, as a brown-haired girl beats her to Yuki first, staring at him with wide, expectant eyes. 

“Sorry.” He says apologetically. “But I’ve been reserved by someone else, I think.” He turns to the maid. “Setsuna?” 

“Thank you.” She says, relieved. “Er, yes, I’ll be your partner for this exercise.” 

The girl frowns, disappointed, but backs away to scramble for another partner. 

_He’s still so nice to me, even after everything. It’s almost like nothing’s changed with him at all. He still treats me so well..._

He smiles at her. “Shall we begin?”

She nods tightly, focusing on him. Without a word, the two lunge at each other, wooden swords clacking against each other as they trade strikes, back off, re-engage, analyzing and reacting. Setsuna isn’t an especially skilled swordswoman, but she makes up for it with experience and superior agility, dancing around him and trying to rain blows down upon him. In comparison, he is like a rock, turning to meet her and deflecting her strikes off to the side, remaining untouched, and every single one of his counterattacks are carefully chosen to rattle her defenses. 

_He’s...stronger!_

A quick trio of strikes presses him back for a crucial moment, but instead of overextending, Setsuna dances back, dodging his return blow, and scrapes the flat of her blade against the ground before flicking up, sending dirt flying at his face. He sidesteps, then attacks in a blistering spin that she’s forced to dart away from. 

“Nice try.” He acknowledges, then narrows his eyes as Setsuna dislodges a rock from the ground half the size of her fist before flicking it up into the air and slamming it towards him. He blocks it, deflecting it up before volleying it back at her. Setsuna slams it upwards, sending it higher into the sky, then lunges, leading with a rapid series of blows that force him back. He returns with a parry that hits her so hard that her sword flies behind her, nearly hitting her in the head, but is forced to throw himself backwards as the rock falls past where his head was. 

In the sweet spot of time where he’s staring down at the rock, surprised, Setsuna kicks a cloud of dirt into his face before vaulting back, retrieving her sword from the ground before lunging forth again. 

He emerges from the dust, eyes closed tightly, and blocks her first two blows before suddenly hurling his sword at her. She blocks, taken by surprise, and he lunges forward, tackling her into the dirt and straddling her. She’s not able to stop him from grabbing her arms and pinning them into the ground beneath her, but she is able to slam her head forward for a headbutt— 

**CRACK.**

He had the same idea, apparently.

Cringing, she falls back, temporarily dazed, and a moment later she’s able to feel a wooden blade against her neck, pinning her head. Belatedly, she realizes that he must have pried it from her hand, since it’s now empty. 

“Good fight.” He says cheerfully, eyes still shut tight. 

And that’s when she’s struck by a realization.

_He’s not using the Veil. That was all him. Has he...already moved on? No wonder I lost, then. My heart is still clouded by all this doubt._

“Good fight.” Setsuna agrees softly. He rolls off of her, scrubbing the dirt out of his eyes before affixing her with a bright smile. She smiles shyly back before turning away, observing everyone else. 

There is only one fight that lasted that long, and it happens to be the most intense — Leona versus Alexandria. The energetic blonde magus is constantly moving around her, blade swishing through the air. Like Yuki, though, the elder magus remains stationary, waiting for her moment — and a few moments later, it comes, Alexandria lashing out with her free hand in a lightning-fast jab— 

Leona yelps, stumbling back with a bloody nose. Alexandria dissolves the sword in her hand, then gestures for Leona to come forth. She shakes her head, pointing her blade at the elder magus in clear challenge.

“As you insist.” The wooden sword reappears into Alexandria’s hands, then she lunges forward. This time, she takes the offensive, rattling the poor girl’s defenses before stepping on her foot with her heel and slamming her knee into Leona’s stomach as she flinches. A strike to the side of her head finishes the young magus off, Alexandria catching her as she falls, unconscious. 

“Good. Most of you look like you’ve had quite a workout.” She eyes us, managing to still look intimidating with Leona propped against her side. “We’ll repeat that spar in an hour. What will you be doing in the meantime, you ask? Running.” She waves her wand, and magic falls over everyone. “Fifty meters behind me, there is a line of red paint that circles through the forest. Run as many laps as you can. Oh, and as motivation...the five who run the least laps fail initiation. The five who run the most get to sit the next duel out.” 

“What about the ones that are unconscious?” Yuki asks. 

Alexandria shrugs. “Not my problem. Begin!” 

Immediately, nearly everyone races for the line — except for seven initiates. Four, who are on the ground. Yuki, narrowing his eyes. Setsuna, who’s staying because he is...and the last, who’s torn between the people running for the line and Yuki. Setsuna recognizes her as the girl who’d wanted to partner up with him earlier. 

Yuki leans down next to one of the unconscious people, and gently but firmly slaps them across the face. They come to with a start, gasping. 

“W-Wha...?”

“Fifty meters behind Alexandria, there is a line of red paint. You need to run as many laps as you can if you want to continue. The bottom five are eliminated.”

The boy shakes his head, slumping back down. “Thanks, but...I’m done. This is fucking miserable.”

He nods, then swiftly moves to the person. Getting the idea, his...admirer goes to another fallen person, and Setsuna...

Sighing softly, she leans down next to someone, not-so-gently prodding them awake before explaining the situation. Like the first boy, though, he decides to throw in the towel, too. When she looks up, only one person is actually making their way to the line, and Yuki is retrieving Leona from Alexandria, securing the girl on his back. The elder magus nods in what appears to be acknowledgement, then he comes back to join the two, motioning for them to start running.

“Will you be okay, Lyra?” He asks. 

The brunette nods, smiling bravely. “I’ll do my best!” Then she takes off, running as fast as she can for the line. 

“We should head out there as well, too, Setsuna.” He gestures. “I don’t intend on taking top five, but I certainly won’t be at the bottom.”

She nods, then, wordlessly, the two begin to run. 

...

When all is said and done, only thirty-two people remain by the end of the first day. Setsuna doesn’t really get why people are so surprised by the work, and in fact has been somewhat enjoying the opportunity to get out and bring her own, hidden, strength to bear. No one questions her place anymore, not after her earlier demonstrations. Amusingly, Leona herself managed to place in the top five herself, just under her, despite waking up with only _twenty minutes_ to spare. 

She regretted trying so hard, though, watching Lyra get her chance to spar with her...friend. He was notably gentler with her — _because she’s weak! —_ and even started taking the time to _teach_ her mid-duel, the girl being only reasonably competent with a blade at best. 

Other exercises follow, bringing all but the fittest to exhaustion. Even Setsuna starts feeling rather winded by the time Alexandria excuses everyone for dinner, bringing out pre-packaged _war rations_ . She can’t help but smile, thinking that just about everyone around her has likely never even _contemplated_ the possibility of eating one of those.

_Even magic can’t improve on some things._

She sits next to Yuki, Leona on his other side, and digs in. 

...

“Hey.” A voice says to the side of her as she lays out her sleeping bag. Setsuna glances over, surprised, to see Lyra. 

“Yes?”

“You like him, don’t you?” She whispers, glancing meaningfully between her and Yuki, the boy setting up his own sleeping bag as Leona chatters besides him. 

“No.” Setsuna denies instinctively.

Lyra shrugs, grinning. “If you say so. Well...I’m not gonna back down.” 

“Why do you even like him?” Setsuna asks, projecting forced nonchalance. The brunette glances away, blushing.

“...Because he’s really nice under that facade of his.” 

_That..._

Remembering that she’s supposed to respond, the maid shrugs. “Okay. If that’s all...?” 

The brunette nods. “That’s all. Good night...?”

“...Setsuna.” 

“Well met, Setsuna. I’m Lyra, third daughter of the Ariaera family.”

“Charmed.” She says shortly. 

The magus cracks a smile. “See you later.” 

...

_Why did that...trouble me so much...?_

  
  



	8. Becoming a Maid-Knight, Part 2

#  **The Magus And The Maid — Chapter Eight**

##  **Becoming a Maid-Knight, Part Two**

They’re woken up at four in the morning by an explosion that rattles everyone in the camping zone, herself included. Alexandria smiles grimly, then begins shouting. 

“Only three of you were up in less than two seconds!” She shakes her head. “Unacceptable! Your brain and magic can detect something that extravagant as a threat! The only thing that limits you is your body! Five laps around the field for all those who dallied! Last three are going home!” 

Soon enough, it’s just Yuki, Leona, and Setsuna in the clearing. 

“...I’m not surprised it’s you two.” The blonde magus sighs. The two shrug, one a very light sleeper and magically sensitive, and the other having learned by necessity...and also magically sensitive. 

“I’m surprised _you_ managed to get up,” Yuki ripostes, “Since you’re definitely not what I would call a morning person.” 

Leona grins ruefully. “I’m just being a cute older sister for you.” 

He raises an eyebrow. “I’ll remember that when you’re just pretending to be too tired to get off of the training floor. I’ll just leave you there instead.” 

“W-Wait, hold on, that’s — wait, no—” 

Setsuna smiles slightly, content to listen to them banter amongst the backdrop of twenty-nine dying initiates. 

...

“After observing the last day of fighting, I have identified the top ten combatants in this group.” Alexandria nods, satisfied. “Now, the other nineteen of you...you will each have two attempts. You must defeat one of the top ten in a duel at least once within those two attempts, or you are going home. Oh, and also...each person can only be defeated twice. After, you can’t secure a spot from them.”

One person immediately gives up upon hearing that, leaving the last eighteen to shift uneasily. Setsuna sighs, expecting to need to face just about everyone there— 

Only to find that everyone completely and utterly avoids Yuki, Leona, and her. 

“Apparently we earned some respect.” Leona says cheerfully. A strange glimmer of pride rises in Setsuna at the thought, one she’s never felt before. 

_This sense of acknowledgment...I like it._

So the three watch instead as people take their shots, the ‘weakest’ fighters being targeted. She narrows her eyes as she watches Lyra target the exact same person twice in a row in rapid succession, eventually defeating him through luck, good timing, and sheer bullheaded determination. 

When all is said and done, Setsuna has remained unchallenged. Yuki fought twice, easily defeating both challengers...and there’s only twenty-two people left.

“Good...it seems everyone is up for another run! I think two hours will suffice. By the way...if you stop moving at any time, you’re going home!”

...

No one manages to run for the entire time, and Setsuna doesn’t even bother to try, instead slowly walking for two hours. The point of this, she realizes, is to break everyone down, just as Alexandria has said. To break everyone down until they can’t move, and to see whether or not they can keep trying. Taking opportunities like this to relax, she realizes, is instrumental to making it to the very end. A good distance away, she spies Leona and Yuki cheerfully talking as they lazily make their way around, Lyra trailing behind them, clearly utterly exhausted. In fact, that seems to match the behavior of most of the remaining initiates, all dragging their feet once they realize the loophole.

...

It turns out that Alexandria hadn’t remained idle those two hours, having constructed a small, but rather steep hill. It’s not much more than...fifty meters of lateral movement, she estimates, but the incline is fairly severe. The initiates are put at the bottom of the hill, a flat indent of grass and dirt, Alexandria looking down on them from above. 

“Climb.” She instructs — Leona immediately darts forth, racing forward— 

Then water surges down the hill, causing her to lose her footing in the now muddy hill. She tumbles down, Yuki catching her before she splashes into the rapidly-pooling water. 

Alexandria lazily draws her wand and thrusts it forward. A log that is as long as the entire hill slips down the mud, rolling with dangerous force. Thankfully, it isn’t very tall, and seems attached to the hill — before it reaches everyone at the bottom, it disappears.

“All you have to do to pass this stage is to make it up.” Alexandria says breezily, conjuring a throne for her to sit on. “Make it up this hill past me. There’s no time limit. You take as long as you can handle it. Oh, but I should mention...you don’t get to eat until you do. But if you’re thirsty...” She thrusts her wand up, and a cloud begins gathering high in the sky. “Well, it will begin raining in half an hour or so. Of course, that might make it harder to climb...well, get to it!” 

Next to her, Yuki quietly asks Leona a question. “Was it like this before?” 

She shakes her head, grimacing. “This is worse than what she did last time. Look, we need to hurry. The water is still flowing...the longer this goes on, the wetter we get, and that will slow us down.” 

Yuki nods, then races forward much the same way Leona did, boots splashing in the mud. Alexandria grins, flicking her wand and sending another log down. He doesn’t hesitate — as it approaches him, he steps on it and uses it to vault forward before dodging a second log. In less than twenty seconds, he passes her. 

“Simple, isn’t it?” She asks calmly. 

_No. Yuki’s probably the most physically capable out of everyone here. I’m talented myself, but..._

Soon enough, people begin making their own attempts, herself included — but Alexandria waves her wand, a blast of Air pushing everyone back and sending most of them tumbling back down.

“Oh. I should mention that things get harder as more people make it pass.” Alexandria says brightly. Setsuna grits her teeth from where she managed to catch herself, halfway on the hill — then is interrupted as a boy races past her, claiming his spot at the top. Another, more _insistent_ push of wind sends everyone down to the bottom, soaked in muddy water.

“Well, now, every time someone completes the challenge...everyone in progress gets sent back down the hill.” 

Setsuna winces, struggling to her feet — but Leona’s already halfway up, bracing herself against a weak push of wind, dodging a far more forceful Air burst, and leaping over a log to secure third place.

The flood coming down the hill increases, making footing more treacherous. 

Grimacing, Setsuna makes her run, but a blast of Air sends her stumbling back, and another runner crosses the line. This time, at least, she has the sense to brace herself for the wind that sends her skidding back to the start. 

Lyra races up, only to eat an Air Shot that smacks her into the mud. Growling, she pulls herself up, only to get hurled back to the bottom next to Setsuna as another person makes it past. 

Rain begins falling onto their heads. 

“Great.” Setsuna whispers. 

...

Nine people stand at the top. Setsuna and Lyra are one of the seven left — everyone else has thrown in the towel.

“I...won’t give up.” The brunette snarls, lunging forth. She dodges a blast of wind, but slips in the rain and is shoved back to the bottom.

_There are now an average of seven obstacles one must dodge to make it to the top._

Setsuna hates to admit it, but she is tiring fast. The mud and the rain saps her willpower like little else — and the way Yuki stares at her worriedly doesn’t help. At one point, he’d moved to jump down — and Alexandria had blocked him. Apparently whatever she had said had cowed him sufficiently, as he just stares at her in clear indecision, fists clenched at his sides. 

Another person gives up. Six left. 

Setsuna wades out of the water at the bottom — everything beneath her waist is utterly soaked — and slowly but surely begins pressing forward, trying desperately to keep her footing. She’s forced to dance out of the way of an Air Shot, and nearly loses her ankles to a rolling log, just managing to clear it. 

But the strength to dodge the next blast of Air eludes her, and as she’s accepting her fate, something hits her from behind, throwing her to the side. She almost slides down, but catches herself in time to look back as Lyra is knocked to the bottom. 

“Don’t you dare give up!” She yells up at the former maid. Setsuna stares, wide-eyed, then looks back in time to hurl herself out of the way of another blast. 

For some reason, Lyra’s words, her actions — they _inspire_ her, and she forces herself to keep going, to dodge the next three blasts of Air, jump over another log — slip down a few meters, duck another shot, almost lose her balance— 

And soon she’s nearly at the top, just one more step—

And she stops. 

Then, cursing herself, she turns and runs back down, sliding in the mud until she reaches the bottom. 

“What the fuck did you do that for?!” Lyra swears at her. “You were so close!”

“I’m not leaving you behind!” 

“What?! You idiot! I’m pushing you to the top!” 

Setsuna grabs her arm roughly. “I’ll never be able to sleep with myself if I let you do that!” And without further ado, she drags her with her, Lyra quickly getting the message and getting her balance as a blast of Air comes.

“Left!” 

The two girls dodge past the shot, then stumble over a log — Setsuna slips, but Lyra holds her up, then Setsuna yanks her underneath the path of an Air Shot. A general current comes, nearly sending both of them down, but they hunker down — then the water surges, but Lyra digs her hands into the hill, clutching the roots of the grass, and Setsuna does the same — then they’re forced to jump over a log, but Lyra slips and the two go crashing back down.

“Again!” Setsuna snarls. They ignore one of the boys getting smacked down by a blast of Air, forcing themselves forward. An Air Shot, ducked — a log, jumped over — a flashbang, turned away from — another blast of wind, withstood — and soon, the two near the top, near Alexandria— 

“Only one of you can pass.” The elder magus says firmly.

“I know.” Setsuna pants harshly, then pulls with all her strength and _hurls_ Lyra past her. A moment later, the Air hits her and sends her sprawling.

...

And then there’s one left. Setsuna, a gasping, panting, drenched mess at the bottom of the hill. Ten initiates stare down at her from the top with varying expressions. 

_Everything hurts...so much...I’m so tired, I can barely move...and getting up, just sounds so...I want to give up..._

She searches herself, searches for a reason to keep going. In that moment, Yuki feels like an intangible dream, drifting away, shattered— 

_“You are as much a Dawn as Leona. You shall not fail.”_

Family. 

_“What?! You idiot! I’m pushing you to the top!”_

Faith.

_I won’t get to ask that idiot...what the hell she was thinking!_

_Get up, Setsuna._ **_GET UP!_ **

A little shard of power pools in her chest, then dissolves, strength filling her veins. Just for a moment, then it fades away — but she can stand, now, and she does so, swimming out of the now chest-high pool before glaring defiantly at Alexandria. The elder magus stares back, intrigued, then launches a wave of Air at her as she starts striding up the hill.

The maid glares, then presses through it, the blast only causing her to slip back a centimeter. Narrowing her eyes, Alexandria launches a more powerful variant— 

Setsuna _moves_ , racing around it before sprinting directly at her. A log is easily bypassed, an Air Shot dodged once more — a pair of bolts ducked under, a slip recovered from—

 _I won’t lose! I refuse! I absolutely refuse! I’ve pushed past worse than this!_ **_YOU WILL NOT BREAK ME WITH THIS!_ **

As she approaches the top, Alexandria stands, a wooden blade appearing in her hand, then throws herself off the hill, aiming directly at her— 

Snarling, Setsuna lunges, grabbing her by the collar and forcing her into the ground with a muddy splash. Her boot finds the elder magus’s face, then uses it as a stepping point to vault up, over the throne, and onto the hill.

“...Done.” She gasps, then collapses—

Yuki catches her, a worried look in his eyes. She trembles, leaning into him.

“My, I’m glad that I used a clone for that one.” Alexandria remarks from somewhere behind her. “Everyone has an hour long break. Yuki, you may tend to her...but do not worry about waking her. She is excused from the rest of the week’s training.”

“What?!” Someone asks in the background. 

“Isn’t it obvious?” Alexandria asks, her voice growing strangely distant. “She has proven to me that she has what it...”

“Sleep, Setsuna.” Yuki whispers. “I’ve got you.” 

And that’s all Setsuna hears before she blacks out.

  
  



	9. Becoming a Maid-Knight, Part 3

#  **The Magus And The Maid — Chapter Nine**

##  **Becoming a Maid-Knight, Part Three**

Setsuna doesn’t wake up until the third day, bleary-eyed and desperately thirsty. Apparently Alexandria had put her under a magical sleep to give her body the time it needed to recover...though, apparently, based on the way that even Yuki and Leona look exhausted, everyone else isn’t far past that. 

“What else...?” Setsuna rasps. He brings a thermos to her lips, letting her drink greedily. 

“She’s just been grinding us down. We didn’t get to sleep last night...only small breaks.” He grimaces. “Without my...” 

_His Ice Aberration._

“I don’t know if I would be able to take it. But even I’m breaking down.” He admits. “Mentally. She’s played mental games with us. Playing. It’s getting hard to think straight without relying more on it, and I’ve been trying not to.”

Setsuna grimaces, then struggles upwards. He helps her, letting her wrap an arm around his shoulder as she manages to stand on her own two feet. 

“Then...it’s only fair that I suffer alongside everyone else.” She glances around — there are only nine people left. Lyra is one of them, and when Setsuna catches her eye, the brunette waves brightly. 

_Good._

“No.” Alexandria interjects from behind her. “You will sit out.”

“Lady Dawn.” Setsuna says, surprised. “I can—” 

Abruptly, she’s pushed forward, collapsing to the ground. Behind her, Yuki begins to protest— 

A heel grinds into her back. “Then stand, Setsuna.”

She tries — she really, genuinely tries — but she realizes that she can't even get a single muscle to twitch. 

“You have already proven your spirit. I know now that it will not break. But your body is currently unwilling, and if pushed, _it will break instead._ Then it will not matter how strong your spirit is. No. You will sit out and recover so that you are ready for the next three weeks of your training.” 

“I...understand.” She says weakly. The heel lifts off of her.

“Help her up, Yuki.” Alexandria orders, then spins away. He does immediately, frowning intensely. 

“Are you okay?” He whispers.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry.” Even just the act of sitting up is painful for her, but she bears it, gritting her teeth. 

“Just rest.” Yuki says, drawing a blanket around her, concern in his eyes. She smiles wanly.

“Alright.” 

...

She spends most of the next few days napping and regaining her strength. Alexandria puts her into a magical sleep every night so that she can rest through their nighttime exercises — apparently they’ve only been allowed twelve hours of sleep in the last three days. Setsuna sympathizes, knowing full well what that’s like, but isn’t allowed to join them.

Two more students depart on the fourth day after Alexandria ruthlessly puts them through an illusion that makes them live their worst nightmare. The only person who avoids screaming is Yuki, though his reaction is worse, in his own way — the illusion is forcefully _broken_ , sending Alexandria reeling as the temperature sharply falls beneath him. 

“Accidental magic?” Setsuna wonders, watching with clenched fists. 

_But our magic was sealed...?_

And then there were seven, Leona included. Six new initiates. 

The fifth day is perhaps the worst — with carefully woven magic to ensure that blades can’t pierce too lethally, Alexandria gives everyone steel swords and forces them to fight against one another. For most of them, it’s their first time ever being seriously injured, or seriously injuring another — one more initiate quits, disgusted by the blood, and another is eliminated for losing the most. 

Setsuna is allowed to join them, this time, but doesn’t have any problems spilling blood, and rarely receives any injuries herself. They do that for the whole day, Alexandria ensuring that no one suffers too much blood loss, and stop in the evening.

“Good work, everyone. We can stop here for now.”

Leona. Yuki. Setsuna. Lyra. Lucian. Setsuna recognizes the last — it’s the same boy she’d threatened, way back when.

_He doesn’t seem like he’s a complete asshole, anymore, just stuck-up. That’s fine. More importantly, he doesn’t recognize me. Good thing I’m always in a disguise whenever I go anywhere around campus._

“We’re done?” Lyra asks, blinking exhaustedly. Though she’s clearly repulsed by the blood on her, and wincing from more than a few bleeding cuts, she stands tall anyways. 

“For now.” Alexandria agrees. “You have all made it through the first week. This is your last chance to leave with a teleporter before you’re stuck here with us...that is, of course, unless you wish to brave the forests alone. Well?”

Everyone glances at each other, then turns to her, silent. 

“Good.” She smiles. “Congratulations. Take the afternoon and evening to rest, relax and meditate...because tomorrow begins your training proper.”

Lyra cheers. 

...

“I finally get to talk to you.” Setsuna says, sitting down. Her body is still a bit sore, but she’s lived through worse — she can tough it out. Lyra glances up at her, a smile on her face.

“I assume you had something in mind? Uh, that being said, I’m happy to talk to you whenever you want. You just don’t strike me as the talkative sort.” 

The maid cracks a smile. “That’s true enough. No, what I wanted to say was...”

_I’ve had nothing to do but think for the last few days, anyways..._

“You, uh. Have my blessing.”

“Huh?” Lyra blinks. Setsuna gestures at Yuki. 

“I’m...” She smiles slightly. “I’m not going to pursue him. He’s...well, after getting to know you a little, I think you’re a good person, maybe. And you have the right reasons...I think. But...I won’t try to stop you.”

“Um...thanks?” Lyra asks, confused. “I wasn’t going to stop even if you said otherwise, but...uh, just why aren’t you trying to win him, too? You like him, don’t you?”

“In the end, I’m just a maid.” Setsuna smiles sadly. “He won’t care about it, but everyone else will.”

“But you’re trying to become a mage-knight, aren’t you? Or are you just like Leona, here because you have to be?” 

“Um, yeah? I’m here because I chose to be?”

The brunette facepalms. “You know that mage-knights are automatically granted nobility, right?”

“...Huh?”

She shakes her head. “Look. There’s no such thing as a commoner mage-knight. It’s in the name. You do have magic, yes? The ritual reacted to you, so you must have something. You’re a magus. Getting through mage-knight initiation makes you a trainee mage-knight, and once you finish that training and graduate, you’re a fully-fledged mage-knight. That’s all you need. Becoming a mage-knight is one of the things you can do to ascend into nobility.”

“Eh???”

Lyra rolls her eyes. “Did you look at all to see how you could pursue him? Good grief, woman, do you even love him at all?”

“I — I don’t!” She instinctively denies. 

“After what you showed me the other day, I expected more from you.” Lyra looks honestly, genuinely disappointed. “Why are you giving up so easily? Why aren’t you trying? Maybe...maybe you really don’t like him, huh...?” 

_I...I do, but...but..._

_But...what...?_

_Maybe I...maybe she’s right. Why didn’t I ever think about that? Why didn’t I try? After this is all over...I need to think about that. I need to think about just what I feel._

...

Alexandria keeps her too busy to worry much about anything for the next three weeks, pushing the remaining initiates through rough physical, mental and magical conditioning. Unsurprisingly, Leona is the most talented outright, but Setsuna is surprised to find that she isn’t far behind, with the other three filing along behind her. 

And, at the end of the month, she is presented with a mage-blade, the first step on her road to pure nobility. She holds it in her hands, marvelling at the weight, and at the responsibility it implies. 

“Congratulations.” Yuki says fondly, his own mage-blade sheathed at his hip. 

She smiles. leaning forward to hug him. “Congratulations, Yuki.” 

_I understand my feelings for you a little more, too. And I get it, too. I didn’t — I don’t — really, truly love you. Not romantically. I just...need you. I need you with me. I understand now — you were a spot of hope for me, you and Leona and Alexandria. You were all I had. So of course..._

_I need you, Yuki, but I’m not in love with you. I’d just tricked myself into thinking I was, but really, I don’t even know what love is. In the end, turning you down was the right thing to do after all. Maybe later, when I understand myself more, there will be a chance for something between us to grow. Something more than this friendship._

_But if that doesn’t come to pass, I think I will be able to learn to live with it._

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is the last one. It is really short. But don't worry -- the series isn't done here!


	10. Chapter 10

#  **The Magus And The Maid — Chapter Ten**

##  **Epilogue**

“Leona, Setsuna. Are you sure about this? Absolutely, truly sure?”

“Yes, mother.”

“I am.” 

“Good. Then...welcome to the Resistance.” 

  
  


  
END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus, the Magus and the Maid has been brought to a close. 
> 
> I set out to write a story that would allow Setsuna to stand on her own two feet as a character. Setsuna at the conclusion of this story is poised, confident, and has come to peace with her own feelings. She's ready for the challenges ahead of her, and I think writing her story further would not do much. I could expand on her exploits as a maid -- and in fact, I will later -- but none of that is truly central to the main plot. 
> 
> The sequel to this, 'Noblesse Oblige', will revolve around Yuki and will represent a tonal shift between what has nearly been a romantic drama to, well. You'll see. 
> 
> That being said, though, it won't come out until Spellborne hits 4.6.3 for content reasons. See you there!


End file.
